


Dennis Reynolds

by Rantaboutbees



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: I can't actually tag much because it'll give it away so, Idk it's gay and it's good (hopefully), M/M, Takes place.... now! After season 12 lol, Technically this is completely within canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2019-01-05 05:19:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12183651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rantaboutbees/pseuds/Rantaboutbees
Summary: Dennis arrives at the apartment months after leaving to take care of his son. He has something to say.





	Dennis Reynolds

A sharp knock jerked Mac out of his sleep. He lay for a minute in Dennis's bed, trying to decide whether he should answer the door or prepare his defensive maneuvers. The knock sounded again, and he slowly let go of the pillow he was clutching and rolled silently off the mattress. Crouched in the middle of the floor, he listened carefully again, in case this midnight intruder intended to break into the apartment.

Instead, there was just another knock, this time slightly softer than before. Mac assumed his best fighting position and crept through the bedroom door and across the moonlit living room. He reached the front door and stared at it for a while, one arm raised cautiously as he unlocked the door as discreetly as possible. He then swung it open quickly, prepared to battle whatever was on the other side.

Dennis Reynolds was stood there in the doorway, looking desperate. Mac froze, eyes locked with his.

"Mac," Dennis sighed, relieved. He stepped forward and pulled Mac into a tight hug, face buried in his chest.

Mac stood paralysed, arms still raised defensively. "Dennis?" His voice was small.

Dennis pulled away, showing no signs of remorse for this unexpected physical contact. He looked straight at Mac, looking as if he was about to cry tears of joy.

"...What are you doing here?" Mac asked tentatively.

Dennis looked down at Mac's chest, suddenly looking awkward and unsure. His face changed from relieved to distressed and he moved past Mac into the apartment. Mac watched him as he paced across the floor and wrung his hands nervously.

"I can't do it, Mac," Dennis said suddenly, voice shaky. "I can't fucking do it."

"Can't do what?"

Mac had no idea what to do. Dennis was no stranger to meltdowns, but usually his outbursts were fueled by anger. Now he seemed.... almost scared. Mac had never seen him like this before.

Dennis stopped pacing and turned to him, panic in his eyes. "It's a fucking kid, Mac! A human being!"

"Brian Junior?"

"Yes!" Dennis's voice cracked. "And she still thinks my name is Brian LeFevre, and everyday it's Brian this, Brian Junior that, she thinks I'm a good person, Mac! I can't fucking do it!" Dennis grabbed Mac's arms and pulled him towards him. He was practically sobbing by now. "I can't fucking do it. Oh god Mac, what was I thinking?"

"Uh..."

Chest pounding, Mac lifted his hands and placed them on either side of Dennis's face. He ran his thumbs across Dennis's cheeks carefully and tried to stop his hands from shaking.

Dennis fell silent and stared at Mac with a look in his eyes that Mac couldn't read. "What are you doing?" He asked breathlessly.

"I uh, I don't know, you just--" Mac stuttered, avoiding Dennis's gaze. "You uh, you kind of do something like this when I'm scared, so I figured..."

Dennis put his hands on Mac's face slowly, and Mac's eyes darted towards him. Dennis's mouth moved with uncertainty.

After what looked like much preparation, Dennis spoke ever so softly, so that Mac had to lean in slightly to hear him.

"I'm going to say something and you have to promise not to hate me for this."

Mac shook his head silently.

"Ever since I left I couldn't stop thinking about this. It's been on my mind constantly and I'm terrified to say this but..."

Time seemed to stop as the two of them stared at each other, standing in the middle of the living room in the dark, a nose apart from one another with their hands on each other's faces.

"...Mac, I think I'm in love with you."

Mac froze. The room began to spin. He tried to find something to say but his mouth wouldn't work.

"Are you okay?"

Dennis's voice seemed distant. All Mac could see was the blue of his eyes staring back at him worriedly.

"Mac, please say something."

Mac's mouth moved soundlessly.

Dennis gave a nervous half-laugh. "Mac please, I'm kinda dying over here."

Mac was getting dizzy. He tried to ground himself by focusing on Dennis's touch. Dennis always knew how to calm him down. Without thinking, Mac pressed himself close to Dennis and directed all his energy towards focusing on that contact and nothing else. He felt himself beginning to calm down.

Dennis let go of Mac's face and very, very tentatively wrapped his arms around Mac's torso. Mac threw his arms over Dennis's shoulders and the two of them stood there silently for a while.

After what felt like a solid five minutes but was probably closer to fifteen seconds, Mac had calmed down enough to think of a response. He took a breath.

"I'm in love with you, Dennis Reynolds."

Dennis pulled away sharply and stared at Mac. This was the first time Mac had ever seen him cry.

"Can I kiss you?" Dennis asked, his voice wavering.

Mac smiled. "I always thought I would be the one to ask that."

Dennis gave the most relieved grin Mac had ever seen. He grabbed Mac's face and pulled him close. Their lips collided.

Mac couldn't believe how good of a kisser Dennis was. He had imagined it more times than he cared to count, but this was infinitely better than he ever could have dreamed.

Dennis pulled away only to say "Oh god," under his breath, then he went right back to kissing Mac. Mac couldn't help but smile as he felt Dennis's mouth on his.

Dennis's hands were all over the place. They were running up and down Mac's body, through his hair, on his face. All Mac wanted to do was hold Dennis as close as he possibly could.

Mac wanted to keep on making out with the love of his life, but he needed to take a breath. He pulled away and Dennis followed desperately. Mac smiled and pushed Dennis off him gently. They were both panting, grinning at each other widely.

"I've never kissed a dude before," Dennis said.

Mac shook his head. "Me neither."

Dennis looked at him curiously, amusement in his eyes. "Oh really?"

Mac just laughed and pulled him back into a kiss.

As soon as their lips touched again, Mac's eyes jerked open and he woke up in the middle of Dennis's bed. He looked around with panic, trying to figure out what was happening. When he realized, his heart sank.

"It was a fucking dream."

Mac flopped back onto the mattress and gave a huge, dejected sigh. He turned onto his side and stared at the empty space next to him. God, he wished Dennis was here.

Mac wished that he could hold onto some sort of physical memory of Dennis, but everything in this apartment was just a carbon copy of what had once held sentimental value. Dennis had never even slept in this bed. It didn't smell like him at all.

He decided he needed to hear Dennis's voice. It had been months. He sat up and grabbed his phone on the nightstand.

Dennis was number one on Mac's speed dial list, of course. The phone rang a few times before he was sent to voicemail.

" _Brian LeFevre. Leave a message_."

"Hey dude, it's Mac again. Uh... The bar sucks without you. None of us know what we're doing. Charlie is saying that the rats have formed a democracy? I don't know, that's kind of interesting. Hope your kid is okay. Call me back. ...Bye."

Mac hesitated before hanging up. There was so much more he had to say, but the disappointing click of the phone sounded before he could work up any of the courage. He just hoped that Dennis would respond to this one.

Mac nestled back up against the pillow at his side and dreamed that Dennis was here to love him the same way that he loved Dennis.

**Author's Note:**

> Mac has canonically had a dream where Dennis kissed him so as far as I'm concerned this is 100% canon


End file.
